This Christmas, the University of Michigan Tops the List for Tech Careers
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Article courtesy of DataCamp
University of Michigan Among Top 10 Most Cost-Effective Colleges for Tech Careers
- A new study reveals the most cost-effective colleges for students seeking careers at major tech companie
- University of Michigan, ranked ninth with 5,931 graduates in top tech companies and annual costs of $16,792
- University of Washington ranks first, with 14,745 of its graduates in major tech firms, and annual costs of $12,777
A new study by data science education provider DataCamp has identified the most cost-effective colleges for students seeking careers at top technology companies, with the University of Washington proving to be the best value institution.
The study,
conducted by DataCamp, analyzed 20 different colleges related to tech careers, such as Stanford University and MIT. The research examined the number of graduates working at major tech companies (Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Meta) compared to the average annual cost of attendance.
According to the findings, the University of Washington is the most cost-effective, with 14,745 graduates in top tech firms related to this university. The annual total cost at the University of Washington is $12,777, making the total four-year cost add up to $51,108. The University of Washington was ranked the best out of all the colleges for graduate placement in top tech firms. However, the school was ranked third at $12,777 per year for annual costs compared to Princeton’s $8,143.
At Stanford,
the annual total cost was $10,851, and over four years added up to $43,404. The school was ranked the third highest for graduates in top tech firms and ranked the second lowest for annual cost among the top 5 at $10,851.
Georgia Institute of Technology secured third place with 9,228 graduates in top tech firms and an annual cost of $14,588, giving it a score of 76.24.
University of Chicago ranks at the bottom with only 1,562 graduates in top tech firms. While this is still significant, it is 89% less than that of the University of Washington.
The top 10 most cost-effective colleges for tech careers
| Rank | College | Graduates in Top Tech Firms | Average Annual Cost | Score |
| 1 | University of Washington | 14,745 | $12,777 | 90.97 |
| 2 | Stanford University | 9,879 | $10,851 | 85.60 |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 9,228 | $14,588 | 76.24 |
| 4 | University of California, Berkeley | 11,024 | $17,371 | 72.25 |
| 5 | University of California, Los Angeles | 6,796 | $15,637 | 63.04 |
| 6 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 6,807 | $16,109 | 62.89 |
| 7 | Princeton University | 1,621 | $8,143 | 59.03 |
| 8 | University of California, San Diego | 5,622 | $15,069 | 57.96 |
| 9 | University of Michigan | 5,931 | $16,792 | 53.67 |
| 10 | University of Texas at Austin | 6,598 | $18,850 | 51.82 |
In one respect, the college system appears price-heavy. The top three colleges place 41% of all graduates in top tech firms, a higher share than might be expected based on enrollment numbers alone.
A spokesperson for DataCamp commented on the findings:
“Now that college application season is approaching, many students will be thinking about which institution gives them the best chance at a successful tech career.
“With costs rising, it’s the ideal time to think about college value, especially if you’re planning to work in the competitive tech industry.
“In fact, the University of Washington was found to be the college with the best combination of tech placement and affordability, with over 14,000 graduates working at major tech companies. This is nearly 50% more than Stanford University, which places second in our ranking.”
Methodology:
Data was gathered via LinkedIn and College Scorecard, which provided information on graduates working at top tech firms and annual college costs.
The study analyzed the following 20 top US colleges for Computer Science and Information Systems, including ‘University of Washington,’ ‘Stanford University,’ and ‘MIT.’
A total of 2 factors were used to compile the index. The raw data for each factor was cleaned, checked, and standardized on the same scale from 0 to 10, where 0 and 10 represent the worst and best values present in the data, to allow for accurate comparison between factors.
The factors, their source and their percentage weightings are as follows:
- Number of graduates in top tech firms (LinkedIn data): 50% weighting
- Average Annual Cost (College Scorecard data): 50% weighting
Once the weightings were assigned, the total score for the factors was calculated, producing an overall index score out of 100 for each entry, upon which the final ranking is based.
The top tech firms used were: Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Meta.
Colleges ranked by cost-effectiveness for tech careers
| Rank | College | Score |
| 1 | University of Washington | 90.97 |
| 2 | Stanford University | 85.60 |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 76.24 |
| 4 | University of California, Berkeley | 72.25 |
| 5 | University of California, Los Angeles | 63.04 |
| 6 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 62.89 |
| 7 | Princeton University | 59.03 |
| 8 | University of California, San Diego | 57.96 |
| 9 | University of Michigan | 53.67 |
| 10 | University of Texas at Austin | 51.82 |
| 11 | University of Southern California | 47.53 |
| 12 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 40.89 |
| 13 | Harvard University | 36.65 |
| 14 | Cornell University | 34.89 |
| 15 | Carnegie Mellon University | 33.54 |
| 16 | Columbia University | 33.03 |
| 17 | Yale University | 31.28 |
| 18 | University of Pennsylvania | 26.23 |
| 19 | New York University | 24.00 |
| 20 | University of Chicago | 18.50 |
Sources:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/
College Scorecard – https://collegescorecard.ed.
QS World University Rankings – https://www.topuniversities.
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